mistic.flame

It’s weird how hard it is for a lot of people to say nice things about themselves. Is it modesty? Our culture?
I asked Wayne to write a letter of recommendation for me to send to MIT. He agreed, then told me to write the letter myself and he’d rewrite it in his own words and sign it.

I don’t think I’ve been given a task that hard in quite a while.

It took me two hours to write 14 lines. Sure I can give myself a compliment at the drop of a hat. but it’s usually something that’s either shallow or tongue in cheek. It doesn’t take me that much effort to give someone I know well a genuine compliment. I bet that in 2 hours of writing I could come up with more than 14 lines even for people i don’t think that highly of.

I mean, the first line in my myspace ’about me’ is “Hey, I’m nathan. I think you’re awesome.” Again, tongue in cheek, but in general it’s true.

I don’t think it’s a self esteem issue, at least not for me. Could it be humility or restraint? family values? an attempt at sophistication?

How about you guys, how much genuine praise can you give yourself? If it’s a lot or a little, why do you think so?

I was at the Rock of Ages in Venezuela last week and it was like a whole different world. It was like we were just surrounded with love and caring instead of the hustle and bustle we’re used to. I got to see Gods word being truly lived down there.

We arrived at the airport late at night and more than a full day behind schedule. Were they at all upset with us for keeping them waiting? No – we were greeted with smiles and hugs and kind words. I had never met these people before in my life, I looked different, didn’t even speak their language, and yet they took me in like family!

This attitude was steady thought the entire week. I joked that it was a big game of charades, but the care and concern of the believers we met in Venezuela made doing my work not only possible, it made it enjoyable! (And I did have work to do – everybody worked!)

The Word of God that was taught was passionate and accurate! The theme verse was

I Corinthians 4:1
Let a man so account of us, as of the ministers of Christ, and stewards of the mysteries of God.

A verse from Corinthians was appropriate considering that one of the first things addressed in Corinthians was the division between the believers and the Rock was hosting believers from a good number of different churches.

I learned so much last week! I completely filled my notebook on the front and I took a good chunk out of the back too. One of my favorite points was the word for “ministers” is also translated “servants” but it literally means “under-rowers” as in the guys in the bottom of a boat doing the work of rowing! This is how we’re supposed to be seen: under-rowers for Christ!

The scenery was stunningly gorgeous. In the morning, before we could see the sun, the whole area was already lit up. The sun was hidden behind a mountain, but the light bounced around through the valleys and got to us early. It was a beautiful sight.

The women down there were beautiful too, and Man can Latinos dance! I have this sneaking suspicion that youtube will have a video of some of them dancing, and more hilariously, me attempting to dance….

Oh, and I drank the water and it was great (of course, we were in the mountains, not in the cities.) I didn’t wear bug spray at all and I got maybe a couple of bites, and I didn’t wear sunscreen but twice.

The latin food, btw, was absolutely awesome! Especially all the juices – hand squeezed on site!

Anyways, I definately intend to go back next year, and probably every year after that. I made some friendships that I expect to last the rest of my life. And Francis and I have both started learning some Spanish :P

Love you all,
Dios te bendiga (God bless you!)
-n

P.S. Pictures!

Sarah and Saul

Two of previous Ambassadors:

The main point of The Rock of Ages is to welcome back the last years ambassadors and commission the next years bunch.

The ambassadors are folks who are sent out to a city somewhere with the sole purpose of moving Gods word. They’d start a home church just like the one I do (fellowship) and talk to everybody they come across about the word.

Some fire side music

We were divided up into “mini-churches” ( a lot like my home fellowship) and on the last day each church did a skit showcasing something that had been taught during the week. This was part of my church preforming in our skit.

This was my part in our skit (El diablo, comming to take away the mystery and generally tear the believers appart)

A couple of gangstas from a differnt skit

Our morning workout

Juan Cabrera, the man who organized and hosted the event.

Hey folks, I’m at the airport right now. I’m going to be taking 4 different flights today and ending up in Venezuela for the Rock of Ages!

If you’ve never heard of the Rock or Ages, it’s kind of a church get-to-gether. I used to go to ones in Ohio when I was a lot younger, but they quit doing those. We camp out and hear a lot of Gods word and generally have a good time :)

I’ll be popping on line at airports today, but I don’t know if I’ll have internet down in Venezuela. I’ll be flying back in the evening on Easter Sunday.

I’m expecting this to be an amazing trip, you’ll hear more about it when I get back!

Love you all (Especially Nikki)
-Nate

[UPDATE]
Ok, so because myspace completely blows, this blog was never copied over to my real blog or to facebook, instead they got a pair of “unable to read blog” lines.. Anyways, I’m back now. Expect to see a post with how awesome it was coming up soon.

VATICAN CITY–The damage occurred when Pope Benedict XVI, who was on laundry duty, did not notice a brand new bright-red Hanes Beefy-T in the Holy Whirlpool washer.
Continued at The Onion…

This explains sex much simpler than I have ever heard before. When God makes a rule, there’s generally a pretty good reason behind it. I knew there was a good reason but I had never really been able to explain it myself.

The Right Word For Sex

By Ron Hutchcraft
http://www.hutchcraft.com/

Genesis 4:1a And Adam knew Eve his wife; and she conceived, and bare Cain…

It’s amazing how creative parents can become when it’s time to explain the facts of life to a child, especially in the vocabulary they choose. A parent says to their child, “This is your chin. This is your neck. That’s your stomach. That’s your … oogieboogiewagaboogie!” I’ve really heard some pretty funny names for human anatomy – words invented by red-faced parents, but not recognized by any doctor on earth. Of course, they’re better than a lot of the words our children come home from school asking about. But when it comes to sex, it’s important to use the right words – especially one.
I’m Ron Hutchcraft, and I want to have A Word With You today about “The Right Word For Sex.”

Our word for today from the Word of God comes from the Inventor of sex, who is, of course, God Himself. Our world seems to have forgotten who invented sex – and that the Inventor knows best. In the first experience of sexual love in human history, Genesis 4:1 (our word for today from the Word of God) says, “And Adam knew Eve his wife; and she conceived.” Now this is sex as it was meant to be, still unspoiled, still the best. And the word God uses to describe it is “know.”

When two people come together physically, it’s designed to be the ultimate knowing.

When two people have sex that isn’t an expression of a deep, intimate friendship and commitment, they aren’t going all the way – they’re only going a small part of the way. That’s not ultimate knowing!

The Hebrew word for “know” here is “yadah.” It conveys the intimacy of two people who know each other as they really are – a deep, personal, intimate, experiential knowledge of another person. That’s why God designed this kind of bonding to be for a lifetime commitment, confined within the protective fence He calls marriage.

Ironically, when you take sex out of marriage, it actually slows down the knowing process. The physical tends to take over the relationship. The relationship becomes more self-centered. A couple stops talking and focuses on the physical. And, as a result, too many people end up married to a stranger – someone whose body they know, but not their heart. Because so many relationships between men and women have been so physical, a lot of those relationships are strangely lonely. With sex dominating so many relationships, a lot of men and women have never developed a friendship – and maybe never will.

When the physical starts to take over, it often masks serious weaknesses and dangers in the relationship – hormones make you blind. Consequently, many people have married the wrong person because their passion blinded them. It actually kept them from really knowing their partner. And they made a lifelong mistake.

Remember how the Inventor designed sex: two people bonded in a lifetime knowing experience, expressing it through the unparalleled intimacy of sex. Anything less is a cheap, twisted, ultimately disillusioning counterfeit. If you’ve made that mistake, there’s a Savior who died for every sin, including our sexual sin, who will forgive it if you’ll repent of it – and He’ll begin to restore your emotional and spiritual virginity. Don’t settle for anything less than Designer love where the right word for sex is K-N-O-W. Know – as in knowing your best friend forever.

(I found this in an email from Rick Rohl.)

Got this one in an email from Glen and Helen Davenport:

A Japanese doctor says, “Medicine in my country is so
advanced that we can take a kidney out of one man, put
it in another, and have him out looking for work in
six weeks.”

A German doctor says, “That is nothing. We can take a
lung out of one person, put it in another, and have
him out looking for work in four weeks.”

A British doctor says, “In my country, medicine is so
advanced that we can take half a heart out of one
person, put it in another, and have both of them out
looking for work in two weeks.”

The American doctor interjected, “You guys are way
behind.  We are about to take a woman with no
brains, put her in the White House, and half the
country will be out looking for work.”

And I got this from the CFF newsletter:

MINISTERING WITH GOD’S POWER
Faith, Workings of Miracles, & Gifts of Healings

April 3-6, 2008

..>

..>

	WHO:	For high school graduates or age 19-30, seeking to excel to the edifying of the church.
	WHERE:	Christian Family Fellowship Ministry, 1575 State Route 571 West, Tipp City, OH 45371
	WHAT:	An extended weekend with likeminded believers wanting to grow and serve in the body of Christ.
	COST:	$130.00 includes room at the Holiday Inn, Tipp City, OH and all meals.
	REGISTRATION DEADLINE March 21, 2008.
	ARRIVAL/DEPARTURE TIMES:
	..> ..> Arrive: Thursday 4/3: 5:00 – 6:00pm 5:30 – 7:00pm 7:00pm Registration Buffet Supper Opening Session
	Depart: Sunday after lunch

*Airport pick up only available at the Dayton International Airport. FOR MORE INFORMATION: contact Nancy Banios: 937-669-3090 or cffsec@aol.com